Surgery tommorrow

[Nancy]

Hi Sandra-

Thanks for telling us about Bob. I'm so glad to hear that the little bump in the road is behind him. It'll be good to have him home. Just a couple more days.

Best wishes,

 

[Bob]

Bob to Bob

Bob to Bob

Hey Bob you made it! Now that you are a member of the over the mountain club all you have to do is take it easy and mend. Get into that lazy boy chair and take lots of naps. Somewhere down the road you will start to feel better and at about six months you will feel pretty good. Bob, remember this was a major, I'll repeat that, major surgery so do as Bob's do and enjoy the life you have.
Best of all to you,
Bob

PS. Stay with this site as it will help you with all of the weird things that will happen to you.

 

[bigbob54]

I'm Home

I'm Home

Hey Everyone,
I was releleased from the hospital yesterday. I could have come home Tuesday but they were still regulating my blood thinner. When the thinner was still not in range Wednesday my surgeon said they could release me and get the tests done at home. I would have to get to a lab the next day. Then we found out our insurance has home care for 3 days. Even better, they can do the test right here, phone the results in and get the dosage adjustment before they leave. So good to be back home. I had excellent care at Morton Plant. Their staff was great. Everything is going as expected. Dr. Murbach and his group are great.

Thanks Everyone for your words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers.

Bob

 

[Nancy]

Hi Bob-

Wonderful! Congratulations on being home again and coming through with flying colors.

Hope your recovery goes as smooth as silk.

 

[bigbob54]

Thanks, Nancy. BTW, I had to have the mitral valve replaced. The surgeon told us it was one of the worst he'd ever seen.

 

[Ross]

When your up to all the fine details, I'm game for hearing about it.

Glad to see you back with us. Take your time and let recovery work it's magic.

 

[bvdr]

Great to hear from you Bob. As Ross said, when you feel up to it please tell us more details. What kind of valve did you end up getting?

Remember the big 4......Walk, Deep Breathe, Nap, and take your pain medicines!

 

[bigbob54]

Details

Details

OK, here goes, the details.

My surgery started on Thurs. Sept. 18 at 12:05pm EDT. I was out of surgery around 3:30. The surgeon told my wife, Sandra, that he had to replace the mitral valve with a #33 St. Judes mechanical valve. When I awoke, I was in the CUICU. I didn't remember the ventilator tube in my throat. I really don't remember much until the next day. My nurse let me have some ice chips. I never knew ice could taste so good. The nurse was amazed at how good I was looking and how good my vitals were. But they were starting to notice the chest tubes were not draining enough. I was given whole blood and 2 units of plasma. Then they took an x-ray. Then the surgeon came in and said he had good news and bad news. My vitals were excellent but the x-ray showed a hematoma in my chest. He said the best course of action was to go back in. I was devastated. It was like going from your highest high to your lowest low. But, my wife, Sandra. and the nurses gave me the encouragement I needed. It will just be a minor set back I kept telling myself. So, The ice chips stopped. They had even given me a popsicle earlier. I went back down to surgery around noon and was out again at 2:00pm. This time when I awoke I was aware of the breathing tube. It was hard keeping calm. In only what seemed like minutes the tube was out and I was starting my recovery again. They had me up sometime during the night. The next day, they got me out of bed and in a chair for a few hours. I had a little something to eat. Then around 4:00pm I was transferred the the Cardiac Care Unit. I sat in a chair again for awile. I had something to eat, not much, I just wasn't hungry. After that everything went extremely well. No problems. I was apprehensive about the chest tube removal but it turned out to be a non issue. Didn't even feel it. Just an odd sensation. And it felt so good to get them out. the rest was very uneventful. I started walking as much as I could. And my appetite returned. I went home on Wed. Sept. 24th and things are going great. Now the coumadin dosage needs monitoring and adjusting.

Thanks again everyone for your prayers, thoughts and words of encouragement. Bob

 

[tommy]

Bob,

Sounds like you are doing great. Thanks for the details. You seem to be on top of your situation.

 

[EVELYN]

Hello Bob

WOW!!! So glad you're doing well.....instead of getting hit with one mack truck, looks like you got hit with TWO!!! The important thing is that you're home and doing well.

Remember the VR creedo.....WALK, WALK, WALK, NAP, NAP, NAP, BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE. Take it VERY easy, my friend.....we're all glad to have you back here.

Evelyn

 

[Georgia]

Hi, Bob

Hi, Bob

Way to go; and you dealt with one of the things that in my fevered imagination sounds the worst - having to go back into surgery. Good for you.

Being home is the best, and I'm sure you agree - it's wonderful that there isn't someone after you with a needle at all hours.

Take it easy and take care. I also was a mitral valve prolapse that developed into a mess. Don't you wonder why they always say that mvp is usually benign???

Oh, well, stay around and join in when you have the energy. Congratulations; and did you get the license number of the truck??

 

[Peggy in Alaska]

Good Job!

Good Job!

Hello Bob:

Thanks for sharing the details. I am in the "waiting room" and I will neer get tired of hearing what it is like before I have to face it.

 

[Nancy]

See Quetlin-

We can really make you want to have this surgery done.

Gee, we're good guys. We can talk you into anything! LOL

 

[bigbob54]

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the kind words.
It is now 3 weeks after my initial surgery and not only am I on the other side of the mountain, but I feel like I could climb one! I feel better now than I did before the surgery. I had no idea things would go this well. I saw my surgeon, Dr. Murbach, yesterday and he released me! I see my cardiologist today. My advice to anyone having this surgery is to keep yourself in good shape and to follow your caregivers instructions after the surgery. I did everything they told me to do and I think it really aided in my recovery.

thanks again,
Bob

 

[bvdr]

Hi Bob,

Its great to hear that you are doing so well. I was a little concerned that when they had to unclog your chest tubes it might slow you up a little but it sure didn't seem to!

Take care and again, Congratulations!

 

[Nancy]

Hi Caitlin-

Maybe you should explore the better hospital, even though your regular card doesn't work there. You said some of his partners do. Sometimes, the facility is more important than the cardiologist. The better facility usually has the better staff doing procedures. I would be very worried for Joe, if the hospital didn't know what a TEE is. Doesn't inspire much confidence. That test has been the gold standard for many, many years, it should not be a mystery to anyone in the cardiology field.

Joe had an inexperienced doc doing one of his TEE. It was terrible, and Joe's throat was injured in the process, not permanently, but still injured. He doesn't complain about anything, but he did about this one. If they don't do them routinely, it's not a "good thing".

Just my opinion.